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Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1986

Public Law 99-606 · H.R. 1790 · 99th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 6, 1986 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Beverly Byron (D-MD-6)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. Robert Stump

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1986 - Withdraws the following public lands for use by the military departments: (1) Bravo-20 Bombing Range, Churchill County, Nevada; (2) Nellis Air Force Range, Clark, Nye, and Lincoln Counties, Nevada; (3) Luke Air Force Range, Maricopa, Pima, and Yuma Counties, Arizona; (4) McGregor Range. Otero County, New Mexico; (5) Fort Greely Maneuver Area, Big Delta Area, and Fort Greely Air Drop Zone, Granite Creek Area, Alaska; and (6) Fort Wainwright Maneuver Area, Alaska.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior to file a map and legal description of each such area with specified congressional committees. Requires maps and legal descriptions of such areas to be made available to the public.

Directs the Secretary to manage the withdrawn lands for grazing, wildlife habitat, control of predatory animals, and the preservation and suppression of brush and range fires resulting from nonmilitary activities. Makes such uses secondary to the military uses. Permits the Secretary to issue leases, easements, rights-of-way, or other authorizations only with the concurrence of the Secretary of the military department concerned. Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to close withdrawn lands to the public to the degree required by public safety or national security.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop a management plan for each area within three years of this Act's enactment.

Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to prevent and control fires which result from military activities. Authorizes such Secretary to request assistance from the Bureau of Land Management on a reimbursable basis.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of the military department concerned to enter into a memorandum of understanding to implement the land management plan for each group of withdrawn lands.

States that the withdrawal of Nellis and Luke Air Force Ranges does not affect the status of the Desert National Wildlife Range, Nevada, or the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona.

Terminates these public land withdrawals after 15 years. Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to publish a draft environmental impact statement at least three years before such termination if the military department has a continuing need for the withdrawn lands.

Directs the Secretaries of the Air Force, Navy, and the Interior to report to the Congress within five years on the effects of the military usage of withdrawn lands on the public health and safety throughout Nevada, including the effects of continued withdrawal. Requires such report to evaluate mitigation measures.

Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to maintain a decontamination program of withdrawn lands during their withdrawal, reporting annually on such program to specified congressional committees.

Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to notify the Secretary of the Interior at least three years before termination if the military department has a continuing need for the withdrawn lands. Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to notify the Secretary of the intent to relinquish such lands before the termination of their withdrawal. Requires the Secretary of Defense, acting through such departments, to submit with the notice to relinquish a determination of the extent of such lands' contamination. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to refuse to accept withdrawn lands for relinquishment if such lands are contaminated with explosives or hazardous materials and the Secretary of the military department concerned determines that the otherwise mandatory decontamination is not feasible. Requires such Secretary to reevaluate the feasibility of decontaminating unacceptable lands.

Requires the Secretary of the Interior to make public any order to accept back jurisdiction of previously withdrawn lands.

Requires the Secretary to review withdrawn lands immediately and every five years thereafter to determine which lands can be opened under specified mining and resource laws.

Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations to assure the unimpeded use of withdrawn lands for military purposes.

Empowers the Secretary to close withdrawn lands which have been opened for mining if necessary for national emergency or national security purposes.

Sets forth the status of mining claims on withdrawn lands.

Redesignates the Luke Air Force Range, Arizona, as the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range.

Modifies the boundary of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, Ohio. Permits the Secretary of the Interior to acquire only scenic easements within such Area.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Armed Services Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee
  • Natural Resources Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.

  1. Nov 6, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-606.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 30, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 18, 1986FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. Oct 17, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  6. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  7. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Armed Services Committee
  8. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
  9. Jul 18, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  10. Apr 29, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee
  11. Apr 23, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  12. Mar 28, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Armed Services Committee
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  14. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.